


'% $' 



^ % 



'1* v»" .- 












% 



r« J 



v 












i> ■> 









' '/ •" 












sr 



,\V /' 



\0 o, 



,*° 



> 

















s A 



/ 



,\v A 
















•': W 






.*> 



\.^ 















0' 






x0 o 












■ 



'V'*^ s A* 



V" 



*- ^ ^ =- 









W 









o> "U \°°x 






S^ *%- 









V- v 



4 - 





v^ 


• \ <** 

















* . * 



o 






1 



V"V 



,^' ** 



^. y . 









%' 






& <V 






V- K 










Q H 






^%. 



in , V 






OO 1 



\^ 









,v 



v x .- ° N « ' « "^ 



0" x* 1 






'y- 



,0' * 









M> •<*. 






V 






W> '^. 



* .A 



A- 1 * 



»•-' 









* H 



/ 



THE 

MYSTIC 

WORLD 



£be Xocfcet propbec^- 




O. W. HUMPHREY, 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 

1897. 

A Founder of the National Spiritualist Association. 



25 



PRICE '/SCENTS 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 



Chap. Copyright No,.. 

Shelf. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




The Mystic World: 



A LITERAL NARRATIVE OF STRANGE MYSTICAL OCCURRENCES, RARE MATER- 
IALIZATIONS, VOICE SEANCES, CLAIRVOYANCE, CLAIRAUDIENCE, 
TRANCE AND MENTAL PHENOMENA, SINGULAR PSYCHICAL 
MANIFESTATIONS, THOUGHT TRANSFERRENCE, ETC. 



*/ 



fr 



+ ■ 



ZXic Hocfcet propbec?. 



/ 



O. W. HUMPHREY, 

A FOUNDER OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUALIST ASSOCIATION, 

WASHINGTON, D. C, 
1897. 



WO COPIES RECEIVED 




.WIS 



COPYRIGHT, 1897, 

By 
O. W. HUMPHREY. 



PRESS OF 

THE LAW REPORTER CO., 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 



</ ? / 



CONTENTS : 

Page. 

Chapter I. Initiatory Experiences 1 

Chapter II. A Vivid Impression 5 

Chapter III. The Locket "Test" 7 

Chapter IV. The N. S. A 9 

Chapter V. The Emner Materializations 11 

Chapter VI. The Colored Medium 25 

Chapter VII. Miscellany — 

An Odd Experience 27 

Mental Phenomena.... 28 

Was It Thought Transference ? 31 

He Was Conscious 32 

A Business Man's Tale 34 

Father W , A Catholic Priest 37 

Chapter VIII. A Trumpet or Voice Seance 39 

Chapter IX. My Father's Death r 43 

Chapter X. His Second Manifestation 45 

Chapter XI. My Father's Voice 49 

Chapter XII. The Mysterious Paper 55 

Chapter XIII. "Tim".. .T 57 

Chapter XIV. The Search 59 

Chapter XV. A Further "Test" 61 

Chapter XVI. My Brother's Statement 65 

Chapter XVII. The Mystery of Life 67 



/ * 



■/ 



SINCERELY DEDICATED TO ALL WHO 
LOVE AND DILIGENTLY SEEK FOR 
TRUTH — IN WHATEVER FORM IT MAY 
EXIST — FEARLESS OF CONSEQUENCES.'. 



* 



; 

L 




CHAPTER I. 



31mttatori? experiences* 

PILATE saith unto him: "What is truth?" 
In the year 1882 my father made a journey to Washing- 
ton, D. C. , on certain business. He had relatives there who 
claimed to know that the spirits of departed mortals returned 
to communicate with the dwellers of the earth. When he 
returned he had with him a Spiritualist publication. He was 
a materialist. The shock of this discovery at an early period 
of life produced a strong impression on my mind. Battle 
after battle in the mental world has been fought. Every 
view, from every point possible, has been taken to prove the 
materialistic theory incorrect. Therefore, my interest was at 
once aroused by the publication which he brought with him. 

In 1888 I made a visit to Washington. This was the 
beginning of my initiation into Spiritualism. In the old 
Grand Army Hall,, corner Seventh and L streets northwest, 
Mr. Pierre Keeler invited a committee of skeptics upon the 
platform to examine slates on which writing would appear 

MW-1 (i) 



2 The Mystic World 

independently — that is, without other power than magnetism; 
the claim being that spirits would use the magnetic power of 
the medium to produce this writing. Three gentlemen stepped 
forward. Keeler sat at one end of the platform; the skeptics 
stood in the center. Presently a scratching sound was heard, 
and a peculiar shaking of the slates was observed. The three 
men had hold of the slates on which this took place. Keeler 
had merely touched them previously in plain sight to ' ' mag- 
netize" them, as he said. Two slates were held at a time, 
tied with a handkerchief. Several messages appeared on one 
slate in German and English, signed by different names. 
One of these gentlemen became a Spiritualist after this per- 
formance. Of the other two, one, I believe, expressed doubt ; 
the other was bewildered. On the Wednesday following this, 
I took five new slates, which I had purchased on Seventh 
street, to Keeler's residence. There was a plain deal table in 
the room I entered. This table had no cover. Keeler sat at 
one side of the table; I sat opposite. I had previously pre- 
pared slips of paper containing questions addressed to deceased 
relatives and friends. 1 threw them on the table at Keeler's 
request He touched them carelessly; then he said; "There 
is one (slip) here that does not belong to you." This was 
true. 1 had married while in Washington, and the slip Keeler 
referred to contained a question asked by my father-in-law 
inquiring about his uncle, Ezekiel, who had gone to Australia 
several years before and was reported to have died there. I 
do not remember the answer to this. Keeler said: "Here is 



The Mystic World 3 

another I can not get an answer to; throw it out." I did so. 
I threw it in the coal scuttle. He said: "Come to the hall 
next Sunday evening, and you will get an answer verbally to 
that. ' ' Before I left, 1 went to the coal scuttle, picked it up, 
and took it with me. Next Sunday evening he gave the name 
on this slip, although I had destroyed it, and what he told me 
as purporting to come from the spirit startled me by the nature 
of the message. The remaining slates contained short mes- 
sages. One was signed by my step-mother's father, whom I 
had not addressed on a slip at all. He had died in 1871 in 
the northern section of New York. The writing on this slate, 
as it appeared, was: "I am happy to say a word. (Signed, 

Iram S ." The "m" in his first name is an error; it 

should be "Ira." Another slip which I had addressed to a 
former business associate of my father's was signed as I had 

written it — "Jack M ." I sent these slates to my father, 

who afterward stated that M never signed his name 

"Jack." It was always "John," and he showed me letters 
and documents in proof. 



The Mystic World 



CHAPTER II. 

©tbiD 2f1mpres£iott* 

MISS MARGARET GAULE is a well-known clairvoyant 
or ' ' test ' ' medium. She resides in Baltimore, Md. , but 
travels about, and is particularly prominent in Washington. I 
met this lady at a friend's one evening. My wife and her mother 
were with me. Miss Gaule mentioned one or two names of 
spirits connected with my wife's mother and then turned to me. 
I had a short time before written an article addressed to a Spir- 
itualist publication, but on reflection had destroyed it. She 
said: "I see two spirits standing near you. One is your 
mother, Laura — Laura Porter Humphrey. She is a slight 
person, with a dark complexion. You resemble her, and she 
died of consumption. She is a very beautiful spirit spiritually. 
The other was, when a mortal, an orthodox minister. He 
gives the name of George Tousley. He says his former views 
were erroneous; that he has received light since becoming a 
spirit, and seeks to remedy the wrong teachings of his mortal 
existence. ' ' Then the medium said : " ' Oscar, why did you 
destroy the article you wrote? It was inspirational. When 
we influence your mind, you must write. It is intended you 
shall do a great work for humanity. ' These words are spoken 



6 The Mystic World 

by your mother. Now they (the spirits) fade away and are 
gone." These words had a powerful effect on my mind. I 
reflected: How was this woman able to speak my mother's 
full maiden and married name? She had died thirty odd 
years before, at the age of twenty-one, in the State of New 
York, residing at the time in the Catskills. Mr. George 
Tousley I did not know. I had never heard of him. Upon 
inquiry I learned that the medium's statement in regard to him 
was correct. My wife's family had known him. He had 
lived and died in the vicinity of my mother's home. How 
did the clairvoyant know that I had destroyed an article writ- 
ten in the privacy of my room? I had not given the matter 
a second thought. From that time on I began to write for 
Spiritualist publications and to take an interest in Spiritualism. 
I believed that spirit return was a fact. It was a great truth, 
a blessing to mankind, the greatest light of the age. The 
character of my writings, prose and verse, was certainly of a 
peculiar nature, when it is reflected that I had previously never 
been accustomed to literary pursuits, and they really seemed 
to me to be born of inspiration. 



The Mystic World 



CHAPTER III. 

%\>t docket "%m." 

ONE evening I attended a seance given by Miss Gaule at 
Wonn's Hall, on Sixth street northwest. I took with me 
a locket containing the fac-simile of my mother's face. This 
ornament I placed on the table standing on the platform before 
the medium arrived. After giving one or two ' ' tests, ' ' she 
took up the locket, opened it, and said: "This locket belonged 
to a lady who died of consumption many years ago in the 
northern part of New York State. ' ' She then gave her name, 
and, looking toward me, said: ' ' This spirit speaks to a young- 
man in the audience — 'Oscar, my son, do you not think 
your mother knows her own face when she sees it? Always 
keep this locket. It will one day be the only proof yoti have 
that certain property is yours by right. ' ' ' With this singular 
prophetic statement, and another which I will not refer to, the 
medium ceased to address me. The locket had been presented 
to me on my eighth birthday by my father. 

I went to Miss Maggie subsequently for a private ' ' sitting. ' ' 
I asked her what my mother meant by the words, "Always 
keep the locket. It will one day be the only proof you have 
that certain property is yours by right. ' ' She told me this 



8 



The Mystic World 



property was so situated that it was impossible to secure it, 
and that nothing could he done till my father died, as he could 
only assist me after that event. She had previously predicted 
my father's death, saying his heart was affected, and that he 
would ' ' pass away when the leaves fell again. ' ' Three years 
went by, however, before my beloved father left this sphere 
of action. He had complained of heart trouble, but finally 
succumbed to apoplexy. 




The Mystic World 



CHAPTER IV. 

%\)t i|i. £>♦ #♦ 

THE National Spiritualist Association was organized pri- 
marily for the protection and furtherance of the interests 
of mediums and Spiritualists generally. I was interested in 
this movement, and wrote certain articles concerning it, and 
my name was placed on the committee having its formation in 
charge by the gentlemen whose names are inseparably con- 
nected with this important movement. Much has been said 
for and against the phenomenon of materialization or appear- 
ance of forms — the physical counterpart of departed mortals. 
The initial impetus of the N. S. A. was due to the antagonism 
of skeptics who made a savage attack on a professional 
medium for this phase, the medium being carried into a court 
of law on the charge of fraudulent practices by simulating 
ghosts of the dead. I shall not attempt an argument, but will 
relate my experience in this phase, leaving the readers of my 
narrative to form their own opinion. I wish to say, how- 
ever, that I have not exaggerated the statements I make. 
What I write is a true and faithful account, and I will make 
affidavit of its truthfulness, and regard it as a matter of 
honor to state facts just as they occur. 



The Mystic World h 



CHAPTER V. 

%\\z (Emtter spatertalt^ations;* 

ON one of the streets of the Nation's Capital, at the time I 
write, is a bicycle repair shop. If you should need a 
wheel repaired and were to inquire at the door as to terms, etc. , 
you would be met by a nervous little man. You would be 
quick to notice that an eye had been injured, and if you were 
to know him intimately you would learn that the injury was 
caused by an electrical experiment, for he is an expert elec- 
trician. 

This little man, if you were to approach him on the sub- 
ject, could tell you of more strange experiences than the 
Psychical Society ever knew of in the way of ghosts, as old- 
time people called them, but which moderns term "spirits," 
just as mesmerism has changed to hypnotism. 

I know this little man and his wife well. Mr. and Mrs. J. 
R. Emner, Jr. , are personal friends. 

It so happened that in the spring of the year 1893 I received 
a friendly invitation from Mr. and Mrs. Emner to become a 
participant in a spirit-seance to be held in their home. Hav- 
ing heard rumors of strange doings, acceptance was not slow, 



12 The Mystic World 

and promptly at 8 o'clock a number of ladies and gentlemen 
had assembled to see and hear what might transpire. 

About three years previously Mr. Emner's brother-in-law, 
Mr. Frank Creager, had departed from this kaleidoscopic 
realm for mansions in the skies. There had been a slight 
misunderstanding between Frank and Mr. Emner regarding 
the marriage of the former to the latter's sister, because Mr. 
Emner considered both too delicate in health and immature 
for betrothal. Frank's wife soon followed him, fully verifying" 
Mr. Emner's foresight. Mr. Emner now felt very sorry for 
his action, although he had been right, and his peace of mind 
was much disturbed. As he was walking the street one day 
he met a friend who engaged him in conversation and related 
a peculiar experience he had had in a Spiritualistic way. Mr. 
Emner went home and told his wife, remarking that he thought 
the gentleman was a truthful man and of good judgment, and 
he would himself go to a Spiritualist gathering. So, on the 
following" Sunday evening, he promptly presented himself for 
admission at the door of the old Grand Army Hall on Penn- 
sylvania avenue. The medium of the occasion quickly in- 
formed him that Frank came to him as a spirit and stated that 
he bore no ill will toward him. On the contrary, he would 
be the means of bringing him good fortune. Mrs. Emner 
shortly after this went to a medium who received writings in 
closed envelopes. She received a communication from her 
deceased sister. Frank also ' ' materialized ' ' at this medium's 
home and promised to do so at Mrs. Emner's if she would 



The Mystic World 13 

comply with the proper conditions. She duly conformed 
with the requirements, and soon shadowy forms appeared, 
and other undeveloped phenomena took place, until finally 
solid semblances of human beings presented themselves for 
recognition. Frank made himself known by means of inde- 
pendent writings, Mrs. Emner's magnetic force serving as the 
the means of transmission, in which he gave instruction, 
warning, and advice. With this explanation I will 'describe 
what occurred, referring to notes taken at the time. Very few 
spirit mediums "materialize" forms unless screened from 
view. No photographer develops a photograph unless he 
goes into a dark room. The analogy is not perfect, but it 
serves to illustrate a law or principle not perfectly understood. 
A piece of drapery was fastened across one corner of the 
little room where the seance took place, after those of the 
party who were so disposed had carefully examined the spot, 
behind which Mrs. Emner took her seat. She was in a deli- 
cate condition at the time, which must be taken into account 
when reading what follows. The room was small and led 
into a kitchen, open to inspection. The light was from an 
ordinary gas jet in this kitchen and cast its rays through the 
open door. It was slightly dimmed, but a newspaper could 
have been read without much trouble. 

GHOST NO. 1. 

After the preliminary exercises and a song, silence was ob- 
served ; and just as the ladies began to get a trifle nervous the 



14 The Mystic World 

form of a young man, wearing a tightly-buttoned sack coat, 
his hands in the pockets of the garment, was seen to silently 
emerge from behind the drapery where sat Mrs. Emner. 
(Imagine the sensation to the nerves! It was a genuine 
ghost!) As he reached the doorway, where the light shone 
through, he paused; then passed out into the kitchen. I 
noticed that, as the forms reached this doorway, the light 
seemed to give them a shock, just as an electric battery would 
a mortal, and they seemed to make an effort to overcome this 
shock, the same as one would catch his breath facing a strong 
wind. The form, as I said, went into the outer room or 
kitchen, where he or it remained for perhaps sixty seconds, 
during which time my nerves, and, I presume, those of the 
rest of the invited party, were stretched to a high tension. 
Then the figure noiselessly returned and disappeared — van- 
ished; that is the only way I can describe it — at or behind the 
curtain. 

THE ACROBATIC GHOST. 

A queer looking nondescript now presented itself, clothed in 
male attire. Its feet were bare, however. Passing across the 
room where we sat till he reached the opposite wall, he threw 
himself into the position of a boy about to turn a handspring. 
Up went a pair of slim bare ankles, the light shining full upon 
them, with a soundless, snaky movement. Anything more 
wierd and uncanny cannot be imagined. Then his feet 
touched the floor. Up and down they went, with a peculiar 



The Mystic World 15 

jerky hingelike motion at the hips, as if he were an automa- 
ton, not the slightest sound being audible when the feet 
touched wall or floor, until, apparently tired of his sport, he 
rolled on the carpet, and then arose and returned to the cur- 
tain. Let anyone without practice attempt to perform this 
feat of balancing and observe the discomfiture and racket that 
would ensue. Not even an expert could avoid a shuffling- 
noise more or less noticeable. What, then, can be the opinion 
of those disposed to be critical, when the statement is repeated 
that Mrs. Emner was about to become a mother. 

THE CADAVEROUS GHOST AND THE LITTLE GIRL. 

Perhaps five minutes passed by — I do not know the exact 
time. Then came a ghost entirely different in appearance. 
He was an elderly man with a beard on his face and wearing 
a frock coat. His ankles seemed to be clad in white leggings, 
like a Frerch Zouave. I do not understand this. None of 
the figures spoke. X-rays are an apparent contradiction to 
the ordinary phenomenon of light. Another analogy. This 
spirit made a bee-line for the kitchen. In this kitchen we had 
stored our hats, overcoats, cloaks, etc. Returning, he had on 
his head a derby hat. In his hand he held a beaver. A rock- 
ing chair stood near the open door within, say, three feet of 
the sitters in his proximity. A little child, a girl, stood not 
far from the spirit. He quietly picked her up and seated him- 
self in the rocker, taking the little tot on his knee. Then he 
began to rock, appearing to enjoy our amazement. The 



16 The Mystic World 

child's hair was caught up by a pink celluloid comb, hoop- 
shaped. This the spirit took in his hand and reaching out to 
a gentleman placed it on his head, causing him to present a 
ludicrous appearance. The beaver hat was also transferred to 
the nearest cranium, which it adorned with becoming grace. 
Thus he sat for perhaps ten minutes, possibly twenty. We 
looked at him with all our eyes. He had the appearance such 
as a man would have who had long suffered from illness or 
was just beginning to take on the sere and yellow leaf — that 
is, his arms and legs looked shrunken and his face cadaverous. 
Finally he arose and slowly ambled to the battery which gen- 
erated the force sufficient for the time being to enable these 
inhabitants of another world to take on the material shell. 

THE BURLY GHOST WHO ELBOWED AND SHOULDERED. 

Like magic a burly powerfully-built figure now advanced, 
with a quick decided step. Straight forward he came, with- 
out hesitation. We sat around a table. He bustled up to 
this table and commenced to elbow and shoulder the sitters 
without ceremony. Everything was instantly confusion, and 
smothered laughs and nervous giggles, interspersed with whis- 
pered ejaculations, greeted the ghostly sally. Nothing daunted, 
our jolly friend made the circuit of the table until he reached 
a young lady at the farther extreme. Pausing, he clasped her 
beneath the shoulder blades and raised her from the floor. 
Her weight was certainly one hundred and fifty pounds, but 
she was lifted with the lightness and grace of an infant. 



The Mystic World 17 

the ghost who promenaded the table. 
On his heels came a tall slender young man. It is my 
impression that the preceding spirit had not yet left the vicinity 
of the table when its successor sprang lightly upon it. He 
held in his hand a long roll of paper. With this he good 
humoredly tapped first one and then another, turning quickly 
here and there. I arose from my seat, standing on my tip- 
toes, and, as I am somewhat tall and he stooped slightly, my 
eyes were on a level with his chin, so that I could observe his 
features. He had a long thin nose, an unusually sloping fore- 
head, and a moustache just beginning to sprout. Dancing 
about he at length scrambled off. By this time everyone was 
in hearty good humor and not a bit afraid. 

THE LADY GHOST. 

So far we had only gentlemen as visitors, but now came, 
with graceful demeanor, an appearance clad in the garb of the 
fair sex. With a charming sweep of the arms and an undu- 
lating poise of the body, she seemed as if waiting to be greeted. 
Some one passed her a fragrant American beauty rose. This 
she held to her nostrils with an air of delight. 1 observed 
particularly that her hair was crimped and floated about her 
shoulders. The ladies will appreciate my statement when I 
say that Mrs. Emner's hair was smooth and worn closely coiled. 
This final phenomenon of the evening wandered about the 
circle and then went the way of those preceding her. 

Thus passed an evening the like of which may only be 



18 The Mystic World 

found in a tale from the Arabian Nights. No language can 
describe the unearthly character of these visitants — human 
and yet not human. 

All this time Mrs. Emner sat entranced. So far as she was 
concerned, she might as well have been at the North Pole or 
in the Tropics. I heard a faint voice emanating from the 
region of the curtain, which I was informed was Frank Crea- 
ger's, Emner's brother-in-law, in the spirit world. One thing 
is certain — his grammar was perfect. It was that of an edu- 
cated man. I distinctly noted that the construction of his 
sentences was not of the form used by Mrs. Emner. I had 
in my coat pocket a bill book containing papers. As an 
experiment, I passed this behind the curtain. Not a ray of 
light was there, yet instantly she stated the nature of its con- 
tents, reading correctly the first words of a newspaper article, 
which I kept in memory and afterward verified. In reality it 
was a little girl ' ' controlling ' ' Mrs. Emner who accomplished 
this remarkable feat. Mrs. Emner is a tall, somewhat large, 
woman, with generally poor health. She "sat" for a year 
without intermission and without regard to the thermometer 
before complete "development" was achieved. After her 
second child was born not a single spirit exhibited its ghostly 
presence in her domicile for perhaps two years, but at the time 
of writing (October, 1897,) these remarkable phenomena 
have again asserted themselves. I will say in conclusion that 
materialization is a delicate science and its development not 



The Mystic World 19 

easily accomplished, and requires, in addition, an inherent 
natural gift. 

Having given an account of the seance I participated in and 
of the strange occurrences which took place, I will now repeat 
what Mr. and Mrs. Emner related to me. They have been 
frequent visitors at my home, and the " ghosts" have ap- 
peared there through Mrs. Emner's mediumship as well as in 
their own dwelling. 
"^ This couple were at one time dwellers in a certain domicile, 

No. — , street, which they had leased for some length of 

time. But they were not there long before curious events 
occurred. In one of the rooms of the house there was a dark 
brown stain about the length and breadth of a human being 
of average size. Strange to say, at various times this peculiar 
looking spot would become damp or moist. This was odd; 
but one night they were startled by a strong masculine voice 
saying: 

"G d you! This is my grave, and you are 

standing on it ! Get out of here. ' ' 

They inquired who it was speaking, but received only curses 
in reply. 

"Can we not pray for you?" 

' ' To h with your prayers. I don't want any such 

d — - nonsense!" 

"Well, what can we do for you?" 

"Get out of here. We are going to drive you out!" the 
spirit exclaimed angrily. ' ' You can't stay here. ' ' 



20 The Mystic World 

Night after night shuffling footsteps were heard passing up 
and down stairs, and muttering voices were audible. Articles 
were violently thrown, and all sorts of annoyances took place. 
The neighbors were inquired of, and it was learned that once 
a man was killed in the house while gambling. The voice 
had finally consented to reveal its identity, and this was cor- 
roborated upon inquiry. The stain on the floor was blood. 
No one had ever been able to live in the house, although the 
rent had been reduced. Sickness, death, and misfortune came, 
and at last the electrician and his wife could stand it no longer 
and had to leave. 

On the wedding night of my friends as strange a celebration 
as ever mortal man has experienced was theirs. As my 
friend's wife said: 

"It is all foolishness to tell these things, for no one will 
believe them, " but I will give the statements as related. 

Just as the festivities were at their height, behold ! a group 
of figures, short and tall, young and old, male and female, 
numbering perhaps fifty, suddenly formed and in grotesque 
procession flitted through the house, filed solemnly up stairs, 
lighted every gas jet, and then, one and all, they passed, van- 
ished, in single file, through an upper window. 

On one occasion there came the spirit of a gentleman who 
had been a suicide. He became addicted to drinking and gam- 
bling, abandoned his wife and child, and finally took his own 
life. In the meantime his wife and child had died. This spirit 
indicated that he was in distress — that is, in a psychic state 
involving punishment for his earthly misdeeds. He stated 



The Mystic World 21 

that he could occasionally see his wife and child at a distance, 
but could not reach them. As he expressed it, for every step 
he took forward he went back tenfold; but through the assist- 
ance of the good people in whose house he was he at last 
reached those he loved. My friend said the three appeared 
together one evening and whispered for an hour. The suicide 
said he could now occasionally be with his wife and child in 
spirit life, but was still forced to render equivalent for his 
former bad acts. He expressed his gratitude, and one night 
on opening the drawer of a bureau there lay a sum of money, 
forty-five dollars. Reverses of fortune had rendered money a 
desirable article, but the sight of those substantial U. S. green- 
backs created fright. The suicide calmed their fears — "that 
money," said he, "I buried just before I died. It is true I 
won it at gambling, but take it. It is all right. It is yours 
for what you have done for me. I dug it up and brought it 
here. ' ' That was the last time the spirit appeared. He never 
would reveal his identity. At another time, however, a sum 
something like twenty-five dollars was found in the house 
when greatly needed; but the most curious happening was 
that when one evening" they desired to go to an entertainment. 
On a piece of paper they read the words: "You are going to 
the entertainment to-night. ' ' They laughed and said, ' ' How 
can we go without money?' ' "You will certainly go," was 
written; " look on the table. " Judge of their surprise to see 
a one-dollar bill suddenly appear. The tickets to the enter- 
tainment cost fifty cents each. Shortly afterward they were 



22 The Mystic World 

told that this dollar bill was given them by a spirit who had 
taken on the material form in the city of Pittsburg, not in a 
cabinet, nor even in a house, but out on the open street. 
This spirit said he was walking along the street when he was 
accosted by a man out of work. The spirit told this man he 
had no work for him (naturally), but he could tell him where 
to get a job. The man felt so grateful that he asked the sup- 
posed mortal to meet him again and he would give him all he 
could spare of the first money he earned. But the spirit took 
only the dollar, and this dollar he gave to his host of the 
evening. 

When manifestations first began to occur in their presence, 
the gentleman one evening asked that some strong proof be 
given them. "Go outside," was written, "and close by the 
door you will find a five-cent piece. ' ' The money was found, 
verifying the statement made. A hole was drilled in it and a 
ribbon passed through. This keepsake was worn by the gen- 
tleman's sister until her decease, and was buried with her. A 
promise has been given that this same five-cent piece will be 
returned to them. It has been raised, they have been told, 
about half way up through the ground. 

I will conclude the account of these astounding phenomena 
with one further incident. 

At one of the seances to which I was invited, but did not 
attend, Mr. Emner states that an elderly lady materialized 
wearing old-fashioned goggle-glasses. These were passed 
about among the sitters, handled freely, and returned. That 



The Mystic World 



23 



was the last seen of them. I have in my possession, how- 
ever, a shred of hair that a spirit plucked from his beard, 
while standing at my elbow. I examined this under a micro- 
scope in comparison with my little boy's. It was coarser and 
darker, but otherwise not distinguishable. 




The Mystic World 25 



CHAPTER VI. 

%\)t ColoreD ^eJJtum, 

YOUNG colored man, an oyster shucker of Washington, 
named Basel Lockwood, caused much comment at one 
time by his peculiar mediumistic powers. A number of friends 
were invited to my home one evening to witness an exhibition 
of his gifts. He was first securely tied by means of ropes 
fastened to rings screwed into the walls and floor, and the 
light turned down. We all joined hands and, after a short 
intermission filled up by singing, during which beautiful lights 
appeared, one of the ropes was laid gently in my lap, although 
I sat across the room opposite the medium. Presently the 
remaining ropes were also untied, the light was turned up, 
and the medium found entirely free. A pair of new handcuffs 
were now produced by a gentleman well known in Washing- 
ton. He stated no duplicate key could be used, as each pair 
of irons had a differently-constructed mechanism. (These 
handcuffs came from the city court house, being used to con- 
fine prisoners, and were loaned for the occasion. ) The col- 
ored man's neck was now tied to a ring in the wall, the irons 
locked on his wrists, the key placed on a stand in the center 
of the room under a bell, and the light again turned down. 
Almost directly the bell began to ring, keeping time with the 



26 The Mystic World 

singing, the key was heard to click in the locks, and the hand- 
cuffs fell on the floor; whereupon the light was turned up, 
the medium found with his neck still fastened to the wall and 
his hands free. Mr. Lockwood's hands were next tied behind 
his back as securely as possible, the light turned down, and 
almost instantly he called out to have the light turned on. 
There he appeared with his coat partially removed, one sleeve 
being entirely off his arm, but his hands were still tied as they 
had been. The light was again lowered and immediately 
raised, whereupon the coat was found in its proper place, 
buttoned from top to bottom. On a subsequent evening, at 
the house of a friend, Basel was seated in a chair about six 
feet from the wall. A long rope was then wound around him 
, till he could move neither hand nor foot. One end of the 
rope was then carried back to a ring screwed firmly in the 
wall and fastened thereto. The other end was carried out in 
front about twelve feet to where the visitors sat. A piece of 
stout thread was then knotted about his wrists. My wife and 
I held the end of the rope extending out to us, so that the 
slightest movement would have betrayed him. The light was 
lowered, yet in less than five minutes he called for it to be 
turned up, and we saw him with one sleeve of his coat re- 
moved and turned inside out, but the rope was precisely as we 
had left it, being still wound about the colored phenomenon, 
and his wrists were still confined by the packthread. This 
young man of peculiar qualities was afterward the hero of the 
Ford Theatre disaster, saving a number of lives by his bravery 
and skill. 



The Mystic World 



27 



CHAPTER VII. 

AN ODD EXPERIENCE. 

IN the year 1865-6 my parents resided in the city of Daven- 
port, Iowa. I was at that time a child between five and six 
years of age. One morning, just as day was dawning, having 
awakened, I lay quietly waiting for my parents to arouse. 
Of a sudden, the figure of a man stepped from behind the 
stove at the other side of the room. The pipe of the stove 
ran up nearly as high as the ceiling. A paroxysm of fright 
instantly seized me. Perspiration burst from every pore of 
my skin, the hair of my head seemed to rise from its scalp, 
and my tongue clove to the roof of my mouth. With the 
greatest effort I reached my right hand to my father's shoul- 
der, who lay next to me, and gasped: 

"Father, father!" 

It seemed an age till my parent awoke, for I was in mortal 
terror lest the apparition should come all the way across the 
room, it having already crossed half way. Having become 
awake, my father inquired what the matter was. 

' ' There is a man standing there, ' ' I replied. 



/ 



28 The Mystic World 

He gave a hasty, drowsy glance, and remarked that he saw 
no one. 

"Oh, yes, there he is. Don't you see him? There he 
stands!" 

Finding that I would not be pacified, my father arose and 
started toward the stove. As he did so, the figure quickly 
receded, to my great relief, and stood behind the stove. Here 
the personage stood, and in grim humor, evidently delighting 
in my dismay, commenced to oscillate sidewise, peering first 
from one side and then the other of the stove-pipe, just as a 
mischievous person will to plague a child. Its movements 
were volatile and noiseless. It seemed to glide, and yet float. 
As my father reached the center of the room, the image, with 
a quick, darting movement, dashed toward a closed door open- 
ing on a hallway, giving a parting look as he went, and seemed 
to go through the door. 

All this occurred within the space of a minute or so, and 
when my frightened ejaculations had informed my father of 
the disappearance of the cause of the disturbance, he chided 
me for what he thought was an unnecessary alarm, and 
returned to his bed. My childish mind could not understand 
the occurrence, and it might have always remained a mystery 
were it not that I became acquainted with the manifestations 
incident to Spiritualism. 

MENTAL PHENOMENA. 

For those who delight in the strange and curious, I will tell 
of an incident that occurred in my experience wit> 



The Mystic World 29 

One night I awoke and lay quietly thinking, as is my custom, 
when suddenly there flashed across my mind the words 
' ' Robert Gilmore, ' ' and closely following, ' ' Fredericksburg, 
Ohio." So vivid was the impression that 1 kept the words 
in memory and next day looked for ' ' Fredericksburg, Ohio, ' ' 
in the postal guide. I found the place and then wrote to the 
postmaster there, asking if ' ' Robert Gilmore ' ' lived in that 
city. I received the following reply: 

"Fredericksburg, O., Feb. 2, '96. 
' ' There is no Robert Gilmore here, but there is a John and 
George Gilmore; but they are not in any business. 
"Yours respectfully, 

"John H. Owings." 



I then wrote to John Gilmore, asking him if he knew Rob- 
ert Gilmore, and whether he was deceased or living. He 
replied as follows: 

"Fredericksburg, O., Feb. 12, '96. 
' ' Dear Sir: I have an uncle by the name of Robert Gilmore, 
but I have never seen him, nor don't know whether he is liv- 
ing or dead. Don't know where he is. 

"J. O. Gilmore." 



In November of '96 I published the incident concerning 
' ' Robert Gilmore " in a journal devoted to Spiritualism, and 
next month there appeared in the same publication this state- 
ment: 



30 The Mystic World 

MENTAL PHENOMENA. 

In the last issue of your paper I saw an inquiry about Rob- 
ert Gilmore, but do not know that he is the person I knew 
years ago. Robert Gilmore was the son of Harvey Gilmore, 
of Newark, O., (my old home). I think his mother's name 
was Lucy. He went to Zanesville, and owned and edited a 
paper there (I forget the name). He married Maria Cox. 
She died and he married again. I knew his first wife well, 
but not the second. I heard that Robert died many years ago, 
but know not where. If Robert is still living, he must be 
very old, for I am 73, and we were children together, he being 
some years the oldest. Robert's father moved to Iowa, I 
think to Glenwood, with his second wife (Miss Nancy Bridges, 
my old teacher). It is many years since I met or have thought 
of this family, as I left Newark in 1857. 

Mrs. C. V. Blackman. 

Pittsburg, Kan. 



January 30, 1897, I published a statement, saying: 
"It is now definitely ascertained that Mr. Robert Gilmore 
is a spirit. Mrs. S. S. Curtis, of New York City, has written 
me that she was acquainted with the gentleman for a number 
of years, and was at his bedside when he passed out of the 
body. She wishes to communicate with Mrs. C. V. Black- 
man, of Pittsburg, Kan. , who also wrote that she knew Mr. 
Gilmore, and this may assist the spirit to reach his friends in 
mortal life. I have requested that she publish the result of 



The Mystic World 31 

their joint effort, as I wish to present an argument in favor of 
spirit control versus purely mental phenomena. ' ' 

I regret to state that I have never heard further concerning 
Mr. Robert Gilmore. The incident presents an unsolved prob- 
lem which time and circumstance may explain. 

WAS IT THOUGHT TRANSFERRENCE? 

The following incident came under my observation: 

On Friday evening, June 2, '93, a young married woman, 

visiting her aunt at E was taken suddenly ill. Violent 

convulsions, with vomiting, seized her. This was at 8 o'clock 
p. m. She seemed to be at the point of dissolution, and a 
physician was hastily summoned. She did not die, but two 
hours later, it being still feared she would not survive, it was 

decided to telegraph her parents in the northern part of . 

The telegram was addressed to her father and was worded: 

"E is very ill. Come at once." When the message 

was taken to the telegraph office, however, the manager stated 
that a telegram would not arrive at its destination before 7 
o'clock the next morning, as the office at the receiving point 
was closed for the night. The convulsions, under the influ- 
ence of an anaesthetic previously given, finally wore away, 
and the sufferer began to recover; so the telegram was not 
sent. 

On the following Friday, June 9th, the young lady received 
a letter from her mother. In this letter the mother related a 
dream she had the previous Friday night (June 2d), the date 



32 The Mystic World 

of her daughter's illness. She dreamed that a telegram had 
been received addressed to her husband, saying their daughter 
was dead, and requesting him to come and get the body. The 
mother further dreamed that her husband then started on his 
journey to bring the corpse home for burial, and that she saw 
the coffin arrive. 

This was the dream, substantially as told in the letter, and 
the mother advised her daughter to be careful, as she knew 
her dreams came true. No communication had been trans- 
mitted between the two dates, June 2d and 9th, as it was not 
thought advisable to cause unnecessary alarm after the recov- 
ery, except a letter sent by the daughter, which was mailed 
June 8th; but this was not received by the mother till 3 
o'clock, p. m., June 9th, whereas the mother's letter was 
mailed at 10 a. m., June 9th. So the mother had no infor- 
mation previous to mailing her letter. 

The question suggests itself: What caused the mother's 
singular corroboratory dream? 

Neither mother nor daughter profess Spiritualism. 

HE WAS CONSCIOUS. 

A singular clairvoyant test was once given by a well-known 
medium concerning a member of my wife's family. Her 
grandfather had been stricken with paralysis, and apparently 
passed through the final throes of dissolution. He was of the 
orthodox faith, and was utterly skeptical concerning spirit- 
return. However, he was persuaded, previous to his final 



The Mystic World 33 

leave-taking, to return as a spirit and give a test of his pres- 
• ence. On Monday he was buried in the soil of Virginia. On 
the following Friday evening my wife's parents attended a 
public seance in Washington. At that time my wife's father 
was a stranger to the medium. No sooner, however, did the 
seance begin than the medium addressed herself to him. It is 
necessary to state that my wife's grandfather had a brother, 
Ezekiel, who a number of years before went to Australia and 
died there. The medium said: "I see an old gentleman com- 
ing up the aisle, leaning on the arm of his brother, Ezekiel, 
who died years ago in Australia. They come to you, sir, ' ' 
pointing to my wife's father, ' ' and the elderly gentleman who 
leans on the arm of Ezekiel is your father. He says, ' New- 
ton, I have come as I agreed. (Then followed a beautiful 
description of his reception in spirit life. ) You all thought I 
was out of my mind when I was talking with my two sisters, 
Ruth and Lucinda (they had died seventy years before) ; but 
it was so. And I want to say this: I did not die at eleven 
o'clock, as you supposed. (He had had the third and last 
shock. ) I was conscious and tried to make you know I was 
still alive. The cloth was tied so tight around my face (to 
keep the jaw from falling) that I suffered torture until six 
o'clock next morning (seven hours) when my spirit left my 
body. I did not believe in your way of thinking, but now I 
find you were right. Go on with your good work, and God 
bless you ! ' " The final words of his test, ' ' God bless you, ' ' 
were a common expression. Then the medium said: ' ' Why, 



34 The Mystic World 

that spirit is not buried yet! Yes, it is just buried, for I see a 
newly-made grave in Virginia." Of course, while my wife's 
family were gratified to receive such evidence of the old gen- 
tleman's presence, they were deeply grieved over its peculiar 
character. Next evening a lady well known in Spiritualistic 
circles as a medium was invited to their home. This lady 
was unacquainted with the facts just related. My wife's 
grandfather manifested his presence and strove to calm the 
unhappy state of mind caused by his statement in regard to 
his having been conscious when he was laid out for burial. 
He said his principal horror was lest he should be buried while 
still conscious; but, happily, this did not occur. He expressed 
himself as happy in his new abode, and his soothing words 
had their due effect. 

Thus the facts are presented of two clairvoyants, one cor- 
roborating the statements of the other, yet neither was person- 
ally acquainted with the circumstances as they occurred, nor 
were they associated with each other. Altogether it was a 
remarkable attestation of spirit existence. 

A BUSINESS MAN'S TALE. 

A gentleman of my acquaintance, whom I shall designate 
as Mr. X. , related to me the following singular account : 

Some seven years previous to the time of writing, Mr. X. 
started in business for himself in one of the principal cities. He 
had saved a small sum of money while working as a mechanic, 
which he utilized to start with, and immediately incurred an 



The Mystic World 35 

indebtedness of several hundred dollars, and was able to main- 
tain his standing only by a hard struggle; but he persevered 
and gradually overcame his difficulties. 

In a short time he had canceled his debt, bought stock in 
the concern whose work he was doing the principal share of, 
purchased a piece of ground in a good business location, and 
erected a suitable building in which to carry on his enterprise. 

This gentleman is an enthusiastic psychist, and his acts are 
governed by his own psychical powers and his knowledge of 
Spiritualistic phenomena. 

Apparently there was nothing extraordinary in what he had 
so far accomplished. It would seem that anyone with good 
fortune, industry, and business sagacity could have been 
equally successful, but subsequent events leave the question 
open for debate whether there are not forces outside the mate- 
rial that enter into and govern the affairs of men, and by so 
doing explain why one man wins and another fails. 

The subject of this narrative, Mr. X., soon found that his 
success was envied and that efforts were being made to accom- 
plish his ruin. One man tried to force him into a position 
where he would be obliged to relinquish what stock he had 
purchased in the concern which had been the main element of 
his success. Had the intention been accomplished, Mr. X.'s 
downfall would have been immediate. He was warned of 
this through a medium, and by quick action was able to 
thwart the malevolent purpose. But this was not the only 
instance of sinister designs frustrated, and in their results lie 
the peculiarity of this narrative. 



36 The Mystic World 

Mediums informed Mr. X. that he had an unusually strong 
force of spirit advisers interested in his welfare, and they 
would assist and protect him. His various enemies were 
worsted in every conceivable manner. One man was par- 
alyzed, another died, another lost all his property. In fact, 
no less than nine different men who had endeavored to ruin 
him were themselves the victims of misfortune. One of these 
men, who sought to entangle him in meshes from which he 
could not escape, became ill. A certain spirit informed Mr. 
X. through a medium that those who guarded his welfare were 
going to cause this man's death. "But," said Mr. X., "I 
don't want this man harmed. ' ' 

"You have nothing to do with it," was the prompt re- 
sponse. "Attend to your own affairs and we will attend to 
ours." 

Mr. X. , however, so far disregarded his spirit friend's some- 
what arbitrary injunction as to go to the man who had sought 
to injure him and endeavored to remove the baneful influence. 
Mr. X. admonished this evil-disposed personage that if he 
would not antagonize him further his illness would disappear. 
The wrong-doer promised to cease his antagonism, and from 
that hour began to improve and was soon well. How he was 
convinced that Mr. X. had the power to control his condition 
cannot be stated. In some way the light dawned on his mind 
that he was the victim of his own wrong-doing, but he doubt- 
less did not know that his discomfiture emanated from an 
occult source. 



The Mystic World 37 

Mr. X. to-day has a surplus of several thousand dollars, 
owns a fine residence, and keeps a large force of employees 
busy. 

FATHER W , A CATHOLIC PRIEST. 

A certain Mrs. W , herself a Protestant at one time but 

latterly a disciple of Spiritualism, had a brother-in-law, Father 
W , a clergyman of the Roman Church, who died in Cali- 
fornia a few years previous to the time of writing. 

At one of the trumpet seances given by Mr. and Mrs. Hib- 
bits, of Muncie, Ind. , Father W manifested. 

"I am Father W ," he said, speaking through the 

trumpet. ' ' I want you, ' ' addressing a gentleman and his 

wife, "to convey a message for me to Mrs. W , my 

sister-in-law." He then stated what he desired to have con- 
veyed. 

Some one asked if he were not a Catholic. 

"Yes," he said. "I was a Catholic on earth, and I am a 
Catholic still. The religion of Spiritualism is nearer that of 
Catholicism than anything else. ' ' 

The gentleman and his wife to whom this spirit made him- 
self known were acquainted with Mrs. W , but they were 

unfamiliar with Father W •, except that they had a slight 

recollection of having heard his name mentioned, and they 
were at the time total strangers to Mr. and Mrs. Hibbits, it 
being their first visit at their seances. 



The Mystic World 39 



CHAPTER VIII. 

& trumpet or Woitz leaner* 

AT 2 o'clock of a dismal, rainy, cold afternoon in Novem- 
ber, 1896, my wife and I found ourselves in the seance- 
room of a Western trumpet medium visiting Washington, 
Mrs. E. S. Hibbits. As we entered a glance showed us a few 
people sitting in chairs ranged in a circle in the center of the 
room, which was otherwise bare of furniture except a ward- 
robe and a lounge. Heavy blankets covered the three win- 
dows, to exclude all light when the seance should begin, and 
two horns or trumpets, composed of tin, about four feet long 
and perhaps four inches wide at the flaring end, while the 
mouthpiece was quite small, stood within- the circle. At the 
hour for the seance to take place, the people present — twelve 
ladies and eight gentlemen — were requested to arise and recite 
the Lord's Prayer. Then some one was asked to start a 
hymn. The medium and her husband sat with the rest. 
Both are old-fashioned people. They joined hands with the 
others. Their voices were frequently heard while spirits were 
conversing. Scarcely had the song ceased when a lisping 
childish voice spoke. It was a sweet little voice, and she 



40 The Mystic World 

called ' ' papa, ' ' and her name was ' ' Maggie. ' ' A kiss from 
the trumpet greeted our ears, and her papa inquired : 

' ' Maggie, were you in my bed-room last night ? ' ' 

"Yes, papa." 

"What happened?" 

"Why, papa, Johnnie was frightened, and you got up and 
v/ent to his bed and lay down with him. ' ' 

"Yes; well, what else happened?" 

' ' Why, I threw a paper, and you jumped and thought it 
was the cat. ' ' 

' ' That is right. Now sing the little song you used to sing, ' ' 
and the small quavering voice sang a quaint simple melody, 
and then, with a "good bye, papa; if I don't see you again, 
merry Christmas," she kissed and departed. 

My own name was presently called. "Oscar," spoke a 
faint voice. Every person in the room was an absolute 
stranger to me except one lady, and she invariably addressed 
me by my surname; and I had previously cautioned my wife 
not to address me by name. The voice was weak, but I 
caught the name of a relative, and she had a request to make 
which was of itself a test. However, nearly all the voices 
were strong and plainly heard. When they first speak through 
a trumpet, they are usually weak, but after one or two trials 
gain strength. Male and female voices came and went in 
rapid succession. I was informed that the spirits manifesting 
raised the trumpets from the floor in some manner while 
speaking" through them. Much of the language spoken was 



The Mystic World 41 

German, and the conversation was mostly in regard to mat- 
ters of interest to the sitters. Valuable information would be 
given or a consoling message concerning some matter of ap- 
prehension or trouble, usually of a material nature. These 
voices talked as easily and naturally as though their owners 
still inhabitated the physical body, the only unnatural feature 
being the laugh. One could easily distinguish the voices as 
speaking from the trumpet, from the peculiar sound. Some- 
times a spirit requested a sitter to sing. Again, some spirit 
would offer a pretty verse in rythmic cadence that used to be 
a favorite in mortal life, and two of the spirits, apparently of 
highly developed attributes, sang with exquisitely rich tone, 
which conveyed an impression to me of something beyond 
mortal experience — of a world of refined beauty and harmony. 
One German spirit requested ' ' Ein deutches lied. ' ' When it 
was sung, he quickly said: "Dast ist nicht recht. Du hast 
einen vers ausgelassen. " And, sure enough, one verse had 
been omitted, from lapse of memory, and was quicklv sup- 
plied by the spirit. Then "Red Leaf," an American Indian, 
I was informed, who had a mighty voice, the strongest of all, 
shouted a war-whoop as only Indians can and chanted in 
Indian fashion; and Katie Kinsey, a sweet-voiced spirit, ren- 
dered a beautiful poem and invocation, and this closed the 
seance. These two, with a spirit named Dr. Sharpe, who 
had a dry, matter-of-fact, sonorous voice, were the controlling 
spirits. 
From what I subsequently learned, there is a method or 



42 The Mystic World 

science in spirit phenomena, and spirits who are adepts, and 
who gain their skill by long experience and close application, 
just as mortals do, study this art or science. 

We sat in intense darkness, but the spirits could see plainly. 
Red Leaf stated without hesitation the relative positions of the 
sitters, calling their names without a mistake; and many other 
evidences were given that they could see. 

One of the ladies present, a former native of the West 
Indies, who was the only person in the circle known to me, 
was visited by the spirit of an old lady, Maria Petersen, who 
had in mortal life been a resident of the Island of St. Thomas, 
a Danish possession. As a test, she requested the spirit to 
sing a Danish love song which they both were acquainted 
with. It was promptly rendered and recognized. 

These seances created profound astonishment and much 
comment in Washington. Mr. Hibbits informed me subse- 
quently that they had traveled thousands of miles, giving 
hundreds of seances, at which as many as twenty different 
languages had been spoken. 




The Mystic World 43 



CHAPTER IX. 

$0% iFatfcer's 2Deatf)* 

WILL now revert to the verbal message of Miss Margaret 
Gaule in Chapter III, purporting to emanate from my 
spirit mother. 

11 Always keep this locket. It will one day be the only 
proof y oil have that certain property is yours by right," 
and also to her statement in regard to my father. 

July 22, 1896, my father's death took place. On the 
evening previous I had a very uneasy feeling, and, although 
the rain began to pour down, I mounted my bicycle in order 
to attend a seance given by Mr. J. H. Altemus, residing in 
Washington and well known for his mediumistic talents. He 
gave me a singular ' ' test, ' ' but said nothing concerning my 
father, although at that very hour, as I learned next day, he 
had been taken ill. Mr. Altemus said: "I see a very strange 
sight. I see a number of lovely ladies forming themselves in 
a circle. Now I see a band of Indians. They too form a 
circle. They all pass around you, marching and counter- 
marching and intermingling in a beautiful manner. I do not 
know what it means." Next day I received a telegram, but 
when I arrived my father was a corpse. Now that my father 



44 The Mystic World 

had succumbed to the Great Destroyer I felt a strong" incli- 
nation to fathom the mystery of the old-fashioned tiny gold 
locket. I again attended a seance held by Mr. Altemus. He 
described my father accurately and the manner of his death, 
but stated his condition as a new-born spirit was that of feeble- 
ness and that he was unable to make the effort to say all he 
would like. I next attended the trumpet seance described in 
Chapter VIII. My father, as I have stated, died in July. The 
trumpet or voice seance was given the following November. 
My father did not manifest at this trumpet seance (Novem- 
ber) , but he did manifest at another held in March following, 
1897. I shall describe this latter manifestation in proper 
order. 




The Mystic World 45 



CHAPTER X. 

$?t0 ^>econD spamfetftatton* 

THE next seance I attended was a public one given by Miss 
Margaret Gaule. It is necessary to state that my father's 
body had been taken to the northern part of New York State 
for burial. On this occasion I took with me my father's 
Masonic ring and the locket enclosed in an envelope. I placed 
this envelope on a small table standing on the platform pre- 
vious to the medium's arrival. When the seance began she 
turned to me and commenced to relate that she saw the spirit 
of a large man, who placed his hand to his head as if in pain, 
and who, she said, died of apoplexy; and that a miniature 
banner appeared to her clairvoyantly, which presently was 
torn to shreds. "Ah, now I see what it means!" she ex- 
claimed. "Long ago you sent your father a publication 
called the 'Banner.' " "I" (speaking for the spirit) "read 
what it said of Spiritualism, but would not gratify you, my 
son, with that knowledge, and tore the paper into shreds. ' ' 
(This action was characteristic of my father, who had a hasty 
temper, although of a jovial disposition.) Then the spirit 
went on to say that he regretted not knowing what he did in 
his present state, and expressed his gratitude for the efforts I 



46 The Mystic World 

had made in his behalf. After the medium had given one or 
two tests more, she picked up the envelope containing the ring 
and locket, and said: ' ' There are two articles in this inclosure, 
each belonging to a separate individual, which makes it diffi- 
cult for me to give a reading, as their magnetisms are mixed, 
but I will try. I see before me a large gentleman, a newly 
arisen spirit, for I see a fresh-made grave. Now I see a very 
beautiful spirit — that of a lady. In this envelope is a locket 
containing a picture of this lady. Now 1 see her draw from 
the finger of the gentleman that stands by her side a ring, and 
this ring is that which is also in the envelope. ' ' The medium 
then held the package up and asked whose it was. I arose 
and stated it was mine, and that her two tests, or both parts 
of one test, were correct; whereupon she asked me to place 
the articles in her hand minus the envelope. She then spoke 
of my father having been buried by Masons far north; that 1 
was not present, though I made the effort to be with him 
when he passed away, and she described a sheaf of wheat — a 
Masonic emblem — which had been thrown in upon the casket. 
This was literally true. I did not know it was a Masonic 
emblem until the medium made the statement. My brother- 
in-law is a Mason, and he had the token carried to the grave, 
where it rested after the casket had been lowered, having been 
overlooked. I directed his attention to it, and it was then 
thrown down upon the casket. 

As 1 have stated, this was a public seance. Subsequently I 
attended another, accompanied by my step-mother, whom 1 



The Mystic World 



47 



wished to interest in Spiritualism. The spirit of my father 
came as before. The medium repeated almost literally the 
test I have related, only instead of the sheaf or bunch of wheat 
she spoke of the fragrant flowers placed on the casket, and 
how delicious their perfume had been to the spirit. This time 
I had the ring in my vest pocket, but did not carry with me 
the locket. Miss Gaule clairvoyantly saw this ring, and 
requested me to hand it to her. Upon receiving it she smiled 
and stated my father wanted to know why I did not wear it 
on my finger instead of in my pocket, and that he advised me 
to take the Masonic degrees. This concluded the test. 




The Mystic World 49 



CHAPTER XI. 

I WILL now relate the occurrences at the trumpet seance of 
March, 1897. At this seance my father spoke apparently 
with his own voice, and this description is by far the most 
interesting of all my experiences, and of vital importance in 
the sequence of the locket spirit messages. 

The second time the Hibbits visited Washington (March, 
1897), they held their seances on 11th street northwest, be- 
tween F and G. I made an engagement to be there at 2 
o'clock. They held their regular seance at this hour each day. 
I arrived early, and as it was tedious to pass the time I went 
out, strolled into a barber shop and had my hair cut. When 
I returned, it was past the hour for the seance to begin and 1 
was forced to take a seat in the seance-room close to the door 
outside the " circle." The manager of the circle had mani- 
fested some displeasure at my coming late, and I thought I 
would get no message. Presently, however, a childish spirit 
voice that had been addressing some one in the circle called 
out: 

' ' Man, I say man ! I want the man by the door. ' ' 



50 The Mystic World 

Now, it was pitch dark, and I could not see a solitary ob- 
ject. The voice said: 

' ' Come up close to the circle. I want you to sit by my 
papa. ' ' 

I hitched my chair in the direction of where I supposed the 
'circle" to be, and finally reached some one, I did not know 
who. 

"You are not sitting by my papa. Move farther along," 
spoke the voice. 

I made another move, and a gentleman reached out his 
hand in my direction and touched me. I thought I recognized 
the voice as that of "Maggie" in the former trumpet seance, 
described in Chapter VIII, and such it was. So I said: 

"Is that you, Maggie? How did you like what I wrote 
about you?" (I had published an account of the seance at 
the time. ) 

She made some casual reply, and said: 

"You did not think when you sat by the door any one 
would come to-day and speak to you. I know why you felt 
bad. I saw you when you went out. ' ' 

I asked Maggie why I felt bad. She said because Mr. Hib- 
bits scolded, and admonished him to be more mild in his ad- 
dress. I did not dispute the little spirit, but asked her where 
I went. She stated correctly and that she was with me. I 
inquired what the barber said to me. 

' ' He asked you if you wanted a ' 'poo. ' ' ' 

"A 'poo?" 



_ — *_ 



The Mystic World 51 

"Yes; a shampoo." 

"And what did I say to him?" 

' ' You said no, for you thought you would be late, and you 
was late. Your papa is coming to-day. ' ' 

"All right, Maggie; you bring him," and the little voice 
ceased. 

Directly a masculine voice startled me by calling out: 
"Oscar! ' ' in a deep undertone. 

"Who is it?" 1 asked. 

' ' Luman. ' ' 

"Luman who?" 

' ' Luman Humphrey. ' ' 

"What relation were you to my father?" 

"His brother." 

"What was my mother's name?" 

1 ' Laura Porter Humphrey. ' ' 

"What was her middle name?" 

' ' Laura Anna Porter. ' ' 

Now, I never knew my mother's full middle name. My 
grandmother had once sent me a braid of her hair in oval form 
attached to a card, and on this card was inscribed ' ' Laura A. 
Porter. ' ' The "A" coincides with ' 'Anna. ' ' 

"Well, Uncle Luman, is my father coming to-day?" 

' ' Yes. You have had something on your mind for a long 
time. You came here to-day to get some information from 
him about this matter — a business matter. He is going to 



52 The Mystic World 

tell you all about it. I am going now, so that he can talk to 
you." 

[This uncle manifesting was a surprise to me. He died 
when a very young man. It was his first manifestation.] 

The room was silent for a moment, and then a weak vibrat- 
ing voice sent a thrill to my heart by uttering my name in a 
hoarse gutteral whisper. 

"Father, is that you? 1 am very glad to hear you speak;' ' 
and then, after a few common-place exchanges of greeting, 1 
asked: 

"Father, what have I in my pocket?" 

"A locket." 

"What does that locket contain?" 

"Your mother's picture. It is an old-fashioned locket. 
They are not worn nowadays. ' ' 

"Well, father, what else is in the locket?" 

[It so happened the locket had contained both of my par- 
ents' likenesses, but I had removed that of my father, and in 
its place rested the braid of hair before mentioned for safe 
keeping.] 

Said the voice, speaking through the trumpet, ' ' Why did 
you remove my picture?" 

"Well, father, what did I put in its place?" 1 asked, laugh- 
ing. 

He correctly replied : ' ' Your mother's hair. ' ' 

' ' Well, father, are you going to tell me anything about the 
property connected with the locket to-day?" 



The Mystic World 53 

" I am not strong enough to-day, but I will the next time 
you come. ' ' 

"Shall I come privately?" 

"No; come the same as you do now" (meaning a public 
seance). 

"Shall 1 come next Sunday?" 

"Yes; 1 guess that will do. Good bye, I am going now," 
and the voice ceased. 

The following Sunday I again attended the trumpet seance, 
but, strange to say, not a word was spoken to me. I believe 
I was the only exception, and there was no explanation. I 
waited until Wednesday and again took my place in the "cir- 
cle, ' ' and this time a faint voice whispered my name. 

"Is it you, father?" 

"Yes, my son." 

"How is mother Laura? Is she coming to-day?" 

"Your mamma is going to speak to you." 

"Well, what have you to say about the locket matter? 
You said you were going to tell me all about it. ' ' 

"You will on paper," and with a faint 

ringing sound the trumpet dropped to the floor. 

Now, this voice was not my father's at all. It was a 
woman's voice. Furthermore, my father never in his life 
used the term "mamma." He taught me when a child to 
say "mother." I did not catch clearly the sentence, "You 
will on paper. " To my mind this manifes- 
tation was for some unexplained reason a well-intentioned 
simulation by a female spirit. The voice was sweet and low. 



54 The Mystic World 

At the previous seance my father's voice and words were thor- 
oughly characteristic of him. I had said to him then : 

' ' You did not believe this once. ' ' 

"No, I would not listen to you. Now, I want you to 
listen to me. The property you want to know about does 
not amount to much, and it will take a great deal of hard 
work to get it. ' ' 

He had spoken about my health on that occasion. I had a 
severe cold at the time. He said to me: 

' ' You are not well. Place flannel on your chest and wear 
rubbers in damp weather. ' ' 

I had always been subject to weak bronchial tubes, and 
during his mortal life my father insisted, in adverse weather, 
on my wearing a chest protector, and, if damp, a pair of 
rubbers. 

The spirit voice speaking through the trumpet apparently 
was aware that I detected the imposition, for, as I have stated, 
the trumpet dropped to the floor with a muffled ring, and that 
was all I heard the remainder of the seance. 

That was the last of the trumpet seances I attended, as the 
Hibbits shortly afterward went to their home in Muncie. 1 
inferred that I would, perhaps, get the information I wished 
for on paper in some manner, according to the words, ' ' You 
will — on paper. ' ' 



The Mystic World 55 



CHAPTER XII. 

SHORTLY after the events related in the last chapter, my 
wife visited Mr. Altemus, the medium, at his home. 
Among other things, he told her there was a certain ' ' paper ' ' 

in a desk. This desk, he said, was in the house at N , 

the residence of my father's family. It stood near a window, 
and the paper was in a drawer on the right-hand side. He 
said the paper was of value to me and advised us to obtain it. 
His description of this desk was excellent. We knew the desk 
well. This clairvoyant message was obtained in May, 1897. 
In June following I visited a gentleman, a medium of Wash- 
ington. He said, after some preliminary descriptions of spirits 
which were indefinite and not recognized clearly: 

' ' You came in search of hidden property. The spirit of a 
lady comes here. She perished of a consumptive and asth- 
matic ailment. She shows me a locket with her picture in 
one side, and the other side has something removed. ' ' 

I acknowledged the description as that of my mother, and I 
told him of the statement once made by a medium concerning 
the locket and asked him if he could tell me anything about it. 

"Yes," he said; "this property came direct from your 



56 The Mystic World 

mother. It is situated near New York City on an island. 
Your father jeopardized the title by allowing- a paper to slip 
from his hands. Your mother wants me to trace this mat- 
ter." 

I remarked that my father had stated it did not amount to 
much and would take a good deal of hard work to get it. 
(This was at the trumpet seance. ) 

"On the contrary," said the medium, "it has increased 
until it is very valuable. ' ' 




The Mystic World 57 

CHAPTER XIII. 

THE following month, July, 1897, I went to Mr. Altemus 
myself. The gentleman has a control known as ' ' Tim. ' ' 
Tim is an Irishman and speaks a thorough brogue. A ' ' con- 
trol ' ' in Spiritualism means a spirit who controls or has pos- 
session of a medium and speaks through the medium, the 
medium being in an unconscious or ' ' trance ' ' condition. Mr. 
Altemus is a personal acquaintance and Tim knew me well. 
He talked about things occurring in my home — my most pri- 
vate affairs — in a way that showed he had been there frequently 
(admitting the verity of spirit existence). I cannot reproduce 
Tim's blarney perfectly, it being inimitable. Said he: 
"Ye kem to inquire about the property." 
"Yes, Tim. Has the locket anything to do with it?" 
' ' Yer mother's picter is in the locket, and b' the powers, it 
was from her ye got it. ' ' 

At that moment the medium, who was opposite the table 
at which we had seated ourselves, burst into tears. (It was 
Tim who wept. ) 

"O, Oscar, Oscar, do not be angry with me. It was a 
mistake to let the paper slip away. ' ' 
The next moment Tim had recovered himself, and he said: 
' ' It was yer father threw that condition upon me. Let by- 



58 The Mystic World 

gones be by-gones, friend. Yer father says ye shall recover 
the property. ' Harvey ' is here. He will help you get the 
property to expiate the acts he committed in mortal life." 

Now, I have a deceased relative by marriage whose first 
name is "Harvey," with whom I was a favorite when a boy, 
but who was not noted for treading the straight and narrow 
path, he being of a jovial nature akin to Burns' Tarn O'Shanter. 

"Well, Tim, how about the paper in the desk that your 
medium told about?" 

"The paper has been removed. The leddy (meaning my 
wife) should have gone before." 

"Where is the paper now, Tim?" 

' ' In another desk. ' ' 

"At the office?" 

' ' Yes, in the room where the flat-top stove is, close by the 
bookcase. ' ' 

I recognized the little barrel-like flat-top stove. The book- 
case, I afterward learned, was situated as Tim had stated. 

"Can I find the paper now, Tim?" 

"Begorrah, I'll help ye find the paper! I'll go with ye! 
I'll help ye find it," Tim ejaculated, excitedly. 

"All right, Tim." 

' ' I say, friend, why don't ye search the records where yer 
mother died?" 

I told Tim I did not know the precise locality where my 
mother had passed away, but would inquire; and after some 
further conversation, not important, the seance closed. 



The Mystic World 59 



CHAPTER XIV. 

%\z g>earct), 

A FEW days after my conversation with Tim I went to 
N . I went to the office. The desk was gone. I 

asked where it was. It had been sold. What became of the 
contents? They were at the house. I inquired at the house. 
They were in the desk in a lower drawer. I searched the 
drawer. Nothing there. I was about to give up in despair. 
I closed the drawer and happened to glance up at a pigeon- 
hole above, on the right-hand side. A paper without any 
envelope attracted my sight. I took it from its receptacle and 
hastily observed the word ' ' heirs. ' ' I placed it in my pocket 
and at the first opportunity read it. There were just six words 
that gave me any intelligence to work upon. These were: 

' ' The Surrogate of A , O Co. ' ' I inquired for such 

a locality, and after finding its situation wrote the surrogate 
there. He replied that he knew nothing of the matters men- 
tioned in the paper I had discovered in the desk at N . 

After some hard work and further search, I finally obtained 
the information that this paper simply referred to a division 
of money, part of an inheritance belonging to my father's 
widow, he having married twice. 



60 The Mystic World 

I then went on a journey to examine the records in the 
county where deeds of property which had been my father's 
were on file. My mother's name — that mother whose likeness 
the quaint golden locket contained — was attached to a sale of 
property amounting to a small sum. There was a deed of 
sale of the remainder in bulk. I also wrote to the clerk of 
the county where my father had inherited this property from 
his father. There was no record there of any inheritance of 
mine. 




The Mystic World 61 



CHAPTER XV. 

jfurt^er "SCest," 

ON my return to Washington Mr. Altemus had left the 
city. I waited for his arrival in September and again 
went for a "test." This time a spirit manifested with an 
injured arm. That is (to the uninitiated) the medium stroked 
his arm, saying it felt as though it was dislocated and had lost 
its power. To me this was a good test of my father's pres- 
ence in spirit. He had a paralytic stroke some time previous 
to his death, and fell from his chair while sitting in his office, 
injuring his right arm (the one indicated by the medium), and 
never recovered the full use of it. But the spirit was unable 
to demonstrate further because of certain "bad conditions" 
left by the previous mortal visitor, so the medium told me. 
I was requested to come the following Sunday. 

The following Sunday I again visited Mr. Altemus. After 
some statements of a symbolic character, such as "I see a 
high wall which you have endeavored to tear down, but which 
is being continually rebuilt," he said he clairvoyantly saw a 
young man sitting in an office chair, one that my father was 
accustomed to use. ' ' This young man, ' ' he said, ' ' has a full 
round face." I asked him if he could see his feet. "Yes," 



62 The Mystic World 

he said, and described a peculiarity to which one of my 
brothers was subject, the result of an accident. " He is your 
brother (giving his name), and he has a great deal to do with 
your father's business. ' ' This was true. Then Mr. Altemus 
made a peculiar statement. "Your brother," said he, "has 
more to do with the locket matter than you think, and he will 
be the one to straighten it out for you. Your father (in 
spirit) is urging him to take some action that will place the 
property in your hands. Oh, I see the spirit of a lady robed 
all in white. It is your mother, for she resembles the picture 
in the locket, and she says she will assist you. ' ' I then asked 
the medium about the paper I had secured. "Tim" took 
immediate possession of him, and told me I had secured the 
wrong paper and that I was not quick enough; "but your 
brother," said he, "will surely be the means of restoring the 
property which belongs to you. ' ' 

Three names were mentioned during this seance, "Cas- 
sard," "Cyrus Walker," and "Attorney Meade;" also a de- 
scription of two houses, one a frame house painted light with 
green blinds and a gabled roof, standing on a slope of ground 
covered with growing corn ; the other a dilapidated building 
without lath or plaster, and a chimney standing outside. This 
latter I recognized — my father having once exchanged for a 
piece of property in the West, and which he had renovated. 
The three names given I did not recognize. He also spoke 
of "Trenton." The medium I visited in June, mentioned in 
Chapter XII, said something about Trenton and of my father 



The Mystic World 



63 



having had property there. This I knew nothing about. ) With 
the exception of a few trivialities this was all. I asked Tim 
how I could repay him for his kindness. In reply he asked 
me to throw out a thought for the eternal progression of 
himself and the medium, that they might do more good for 
the world. I cannot mention all he said, and with this the 
seance closed. 




The Mystic World 65 



CHAPTER XVI. 



$ty Brother's; Statement, 

AFTER deliberation I wrote to my brother inquiring if he 
had any knowledge of any paper appertaining to prop- 
erty coming from my mother or any one connected with her. 
He replied that he had not. His letter was straight -forward, 
and contained no appearance of evasion. He had once 
searched, he said, among my father's old account-books and 
papers out of curiosity, but had never found anything relating 
to wills or transfer of property of any kind. After receiving 
his letter I wrote him again, asking him to make a thorough 
search. I also sent him a statement for his affidavit. His 
final letter stated that he had made a thorough search, as I 
requested, but nothing was discovered, and he sent me his 
sworn statement, as follows: 

' ' I have never had any knowledge concerning any property 
belonging to O. W. Humphrey in any way, shape, or man- 
ner. I have never had in my possession any paper appertain- 
ing to any property in which he was in any way interested, 
nor have not now any such knowledge or paper. ' ' 

Thus the original clairvoyant prophecy, ' 'Always keep this 
locket. It will one day be the only proof you have that cer- 
tain property is yours by right, ' ' remains to be fulfilled. 



The Mystic World 67 



CHAPTER XVII. 

%f)t %£teri? of ilife* 

The still-born children of the sky 

gleam and glitter down; 
And their riper brethren gaze 

wisely on earth's round expanse, 
Where finite bodies are consigned to 

dust, or sea, or flame. 
But do they know the secret of the 

countless dead? 
Do phantom forms flit through 

the vaulted aisles of space? 
The eternal stars but mock the 

impassioned gaze of man. 

POE'S yearning to know the secret of immortality is the 
craving of all mankind. Men search for earthly treas- 
ures and are foiled by a missing thread, a trifle, after years of 
patient effort. But the value of earthly possessions is mere 
dross compared with the intrinsic merit of a message con- 
veyed as evidence of immortality. Of far more value, then, 
is the proof than the actual thing possessed. In the common 
affairs of life we give ear to practical things. If the ghostly 
dead visit our mortal abodes, do they not preserve the practi- 
cal attributes of their once earthly presences? Aside from 
supramundane phenomena, mortal senses cannot know that the 
flame of life passes on to another state of nature. The mys- 



68 The Mystic World 

tery of the marvels of psychism is but enhanced if practical 
proof be lacking. Apparently the vanished hand which Ten- 
nyson craved to touch has become a verity; the sound of a 
voice that is still has lent its music to the listening ear, it 
may be. The old query of Biblical origin — if a man die, 
shall he live again? — has been answered, it would seem. 
Nevertheless, as laws of practicality govern in the material 
world, so the mind cannot be satisfied without consistent 
practical evidence as regards the immaterial world. 

The story of the tiny locket has been told. Was it the 
spirit of my mother who evoked the utterance from the lips 
of the clairvoyant? Was it my father's voice that spoke in 
my presence? If so, where is the thing spoken of? Where 
is that of which the locket is proof? For without that, where 
is the consistent evidence of spirit identity? If it exists, records 
apparently do not show that it does. In what manner, then, 
can the locket be proof? Does the story of the locket consti- 
tute an unsolved problem of Spiritualism? Time alone can tell. 



* ^ 






«*>. 



>0 o. 



''7 -\N 






t *<fe 



o 



If' ^ ^ 



,x * * ^ 




o 








„> 


















^ ^ 






o 




»»"/-" "^ 









.s 


















•K- rS 



0^ V 






V- y 









V 



V* 



** v ~* 



V - r '- 






;>•*, 






yi 



0' 



. o 



^ 



■7V 



*^5> 



5 

» % .0- o 















S a\ 



V « V- ' B < 









^ 






a*°V 



,v 






.' -^ 









-N.- 





















^ "% 



o . 






V" <- 






\ 



- V 






.^ N 



"oo X 






H ^ 
















-■i- \....mi.£m 



'/ C' 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process 
• Neu rahzmg agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Nov. 2004 

PreservationTechnoloaies 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township. PA 16066 
(724) 779-21 1 1 



■*> 




























%**%■ 



C ~°, *■ ,0 «£ ^r '- „ N f>0 

^ • \ • * * " / > , o 

_ _ / - 







"o N 



W 



, °A <£. »., >'- A „^ ,<{,? 




